Elastic fluid turbine support



June23, 1953 r. w. F. BROWN ET AL 2,643,078

ELA STIC FLUID TURBINE SUPPORT Filed April 8, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I A770 05x5 June 23, 1953 Filed April 8, 1947 T. W. F. BROWN ET AL ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 5/ wan June 23, 1953 I T. W. F. BROWN ET AL 2,643,078

ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE SUPPORT Filed April 8, 19471 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELASTIC FLUID TURBINE SUPPORT Application April 8, 1947, Serial No. 740,247 In Great Britain May 7, 1946 4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to elastic fluid turbines. Owing to the high temperature at which such turbines operate, considerable expansion of the casing takes place which is liable to impose severe stresses thereupon if rigidly connected to pipes or other elements fixed in space, and the object of the present invention is to provide simple means for overcoming this difiiculty.

The invention consist in suspension means for an elastic fluid turbine casing incorporating features set forth in the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure l is an end view of one convenient construction of gas turbine embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view thereof, and

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view thereof.

In carrying the invention into efiect according to one convenient form illustrated by way of example in Figures 1 to 3 as applied to a single flow impulse turbine casing, one end of the casing 11 which, in the example shown, is disposed with its longitudinal axis horizontal, has rigidly secured thereto the ends of eight steel supporting plates b, b. The plates are arranged as two separate units with two plates in each unit and the units are disposed in pairs.

The plates b, b of one pair of units are horizontal and the plates 1), b of the other pair of units are vertical. The other end of the casing is supported in like fashion. The ends of the plates not connected to the casing a are rigidly secured to flat surfaces on rigid parts of the apparatus, for example, the bearing casings as shown, so that the turbine casing a is suspended in a floating fashion on cantilever springs constituted by the aforesaid steel plate 1), b, which extend from their points of attachment to the casing longitudinally to the rigid parts 0, and is capable of radial movement in relation to the longitudinal axis, which axis is maintained in a desired position.

Furthermore, owing to the comparatively small cross-sectional area of the plates b, b, heat flow from the casing to the bearing supports is reduced to a minimum.

Piping for connection to the turbine casing may be secured in any convenient manner to the casing, but it is preferred that it be connected thereto by way of yieldable connecting unions d as described in co-pending British specification No. 13778/46.

A light steel shell e encircles the turbine casing to provide a cavity for conveyance of the hot gases. The pipe ends are preferably supported in a yoke member f external to the seal joint between the piping and easing.

What is claimed is:

1. In an elastic fluid turbine having fixed bearing supports and a casing, casing suspension means comprising a plurality of sets of units disposed in planes parallel to one another and to the turbine axis and located on opposite sides of the said axis, each unit comprising a substantially fiat metal plate extending longitudinally of the said casing to a said bearing support, and mean rigidly attaching the plate to the said casing and bearing support, the plate having a pair of spaced opposite edges extending longitudinally of the turbine from the casing to the bearing support, the plate and the said pair of edges being free to move, except as restrained by the said means attaching it to the casing and bearing support.

2. Suspension mean for an elastic fluid turbine casing as claimed in claim 1 wherein said units are of rectangular form.

3. Suspension means for an elastic fluid turbine casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each unit comprises a plurality of plate elements arranged parallel to one another.

4. Suspension means for an elastic fluid turbine casing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said sets of metal plates are disposed in pairs, the members of each pair being parallel to each other.

THOMAS WALTER FALCONER BROWN. HENRY GEORGE YATES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,971,874 Perry Aug. 28, 1934 2,009,162 Cawood July 23, 1935 2,130,160 Schellenberg Sept. 13, 1938 2,180,859 Borchers Nov. 21, 1939 2,183,372 Thoma Dec. 12, 1939 2,187,924 Winkleman Jan. 23, 1940 2,190,170 Campbell Feb. 13, 1940 2,356,721 Hagemann Aug. 22, 1944 2,406,256 Roche Aug. 20, 1946 V FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 434,548 Great Britain Sept. 4, 1935 701,944 Germany Jan. 27, 1941 

